Traveling Soldier
by theslytherinprincess23
Summary: What if Mac met Stella while he was a Marine? What if Claire didn't exist? Based off the song "Traveling Solider" by the Dixie Chicks.
1. Soldier Meets Diner Girl

**I don't own CSI New York and the Dixie Chick's "Traveling Soldier."**

**Traveling Solider**

**What if Mac met Stella while he was a Marine? What if Claire didn't exist? Based off the song "Traveling Solider" by the Dixie Chicks.**

Mac was sitting at a diner in Chicago. He was in his Marine attire because he was visiting home before shipping out to active duty.

A young girl, who was Mac's waitress, came back over to fill up his coffee.

"When do you ship off?"

"Tomorrow, I just had my last day with my mom, dad, and two brothers."

"I'm sorry."

"Nah, it's my duty to serve his wonderful country and protect the people I love. I'm a fourth generation Marine and it feels good to be following in my past footsteps."

"Oh, that's interesting."

"Hey, do you want to talk for awhile? I don't have anyone to talk to for some time."

"Sure, I'm off in half an hour and I know where we can go."

Mac and Stella, the waitress's name, were sitting down by Lake Michigan. They had been there all afternoon and were deep in conversation.

"Can I write to you?"

"Sure."

"I mean, I bet you have a boy friend but I don't care. I need a friend to write to."

"That's fine, I don't have a boyfriend. I work, play in the band, or am studying too much to have anytime for a boyfriend."

"Oh, that's too bad."

"Yeah, this is a change for me. My foster dad is probably wondering where I am."

"Oh, do you need to go home?" Mac stood to leave. Stella grabbed his hand and pulled him back down.

"No, I don't need to be home until eight."

"Good because I'm stuck alone until then. At eight, I have to sign in and be ready to ship of to Iraq."

"That's a shame that you, such a wonderful man has to fight such an evil war."

"Well thank you."

Stella slipped into her house at quarter after eight.

"Stella?" her faster dad asked.

"I'm sorry Papa Koda."

"Where were you?"

"I had to drive a friend to the military base. He is shipping out tonight."

"Did you know him long? I don't recall you having a soldier friend."

"His name is Lt. Mac Taylor. I've known him for a day. I met him at work today."

"Not a good thing, running a round with soldiers. How old is he?"

"Twenty-two."

"He is way too old! I don't want you running around with him any more!"


	2. List of the Persian Gulf Dead

**I don't own CSI New York.**

_Virginia_

_Stella, _

_I hate the idea that I am going to fight this war. I wish I was there with you again. I miss that day down on Lake Michigan._

_Lt. Mac Taylor_

_Iraq_

_Stella,_

_The war is so terrible. It scares me every night that I might get shot or killed in the night. When things are rough over here, all I have to do is think of you and the day we spent down on Lake Michigan and I'm happy._

_I think I'm falling for you, Stella._

_P.S. I don't think I'll be able to write for awhile._

Time past and Stella didn't receive any more letters from Mac.

It was football season again, the next year, and Stella was arriving for the game.

"Hey Stella!" Stella's friend Lindsay yelled. Lindsay was a junior and had move to Chicago from Montana. She was graduating a year early and the two girls were going to move to New York. They had both been accepted at NYU.

"What?"

"What's wrong?"

"I think Mac's dead."

"He just can't write you right now. He told you that he fell in love with you."

"Yes but he wouldn't take a year to write back to me if he loves me."

"True, maybe he's been fighting a lot and can't write you."

"But…"

"Come on, we've got to get your piccolo."

"For thine is the kingdom, for power and glory, Amen!"

" Oh, say can you see. For the dawn's early light. What's so proudly we hailed, at the twilight's last gleaming. Who's broad strips and bright stars, though the perilous fight? Or the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming.

Through the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air. Gave prove though the night that out flag was still there. Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave. For the land of the free and the home of the brave.

"Would you bow your heads for the list of the local Persian Gulf dead?"

Stella was sitting in the band under the stands. She bowed her head and listened.

"Ross Stevens, Mac Taylor…"

"What?" Stella cried.


	3. Not Dead but Working Together

Ten years later, Stella Bonasara and Lindsay Monroe head the biggest crime lab in the United States, the one for the NYPD Special Case's Unit.

Their team consists of Stella as head, Lindsay as second of command, the lab rats were Danny Messer, Adam Ross, and Sheldon, and the head examiner is Sid. Sid's assistants were many and hard to put names to because they come and go like the wind.

"Stells?" Lindsay asked. Stella was sitting in her office dazing at her computer.

"What?" She shook into reality.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, I was just thinking."

"About Mac again?"

"Yeah, lately I just have been found thinking about him. It's weird. For a while, I didn't think at all about Mac, now I do all the time. It's weird."

"Yeah, maybe he's trying to tell you something from Heaven."

"Maybe."

* * *

"Stella!" Sergeant Anthony Wayne yelled. He was the head of the NYPD.

"Yes, boss?" A man was standing with him in his office when she walked in.

"This is Mac Taylor. He has just been brought back from…"

"Iraq?" Stella interrupted.

"Yes, how did you know?" Wayne asked.

"Stella?" Mac asked.

"I thought you were dead."

"For many years, I wished I was but I thought of you and I pulled through."

"You two know each other?"

"Yes, we met before, I mean right before he shipped off."

"Weird, well he is going to be working with you. He is going to be like Don."

"Oh, real NYPD Cop?"

"Yep."

"Stella," Mac said. She was trying to ignore him.

"Please Stella!" Stella remained turned away and walked down the hall.

"Stella, I'm trying so hard but I can't try forever." Stella whipped around.

"I've a case that I am working on. I can't talk right now."

"That's part of what I need."

"Okay, talk to Lindsay. I don't have time for you right now."

"But Stella?"

"GO!"

* * *

After they solved the case, Stella was finishing up paper work in her office.

"Stella?"

"What do you need, Mac?"'

"Can we talk?"

"Yes, sit down."

"I'm sorry."

"What happened to you? Yes, you said that would stop writing for a while but not ten years and nine months."

"I was captured. I lived in Hell for eight years. The people that captured me beat me, starved me, and left to myself. I didn't ever believe I was going to get the chance to talk to you again. I thought I was going to die."

"I thought you had. At first I thought you hated me or you had fallen in love with someone else."

Then I heard at a football game that you had died. That day my life was over. I did start over and now I am what I am."

"I'm sorry Stella. I wanted you so bad while I was captivity. I thought about you every day. I lost what you looked like but I remembered the brown curly hair and the smile."

"I…"

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault."

"Ah…"

"I better go. You don't really want to talk…"

"Mac, I still love you. I always will."

"But…" Mac just stood there staring blankly back at Stella.

"Don't say anything. Just sit back down and listen to my story."

"Okay."

"The day I received your last letter, I cried until the paper disintegrated. I wrote in my diary what it said to I never forgot it.

I think I'm falling for you Stella. Lt. Mac Taylor. P.S. I don't think I'll be able to write for a while.

It hit where it hurts. But I never forgot it.

The next football season, at my senior homecoming game, they red your name. It ruined homecoming for me but I didn't let it take me away from my future. I stood up and made a hell of a life for myself."

"Yes, yes you did. I don't want to screw it up any…"

"You didn't die for a reason. Please, give us a chance again."

"But you're my boss?"

"But, okay you have a point there, but I still love you and really want what we had back then."

"Then I'll write notes for you."

"Okay, that's fine. Just go!"

"See, you always get mad at me."

"Because you are so difficult."

"What?" Stella stood up and closed her door. She then turned and faced Mac. She questioned herself but walked to Mac. He received her the way she hoped he would.


	4. Happy Family

After a nine month pregnancy, Stella returned after three months. Stella's daughter was named Claire and she was beautiful.

"Stella!" Lindsay squealed. She hugged Stella and looked into the stroller.

"Hi Claire, its Auntie Lindsay." Claire yawned.

"Hey, I'm not that boring."

"She's not sleeping at night. I think it's because her dad is back in Iraq."

"I know. How is Mac?"

"He's not really fighting. He's just the ground's officer. He'll be home…" Lindsay's eyes opened wide.

"What?" Lindsay pointed behind Stella. Stella turned around and saw Mac.

"Mac?"

"Stella!" The two met and hugged.

"I love you, Stella."

"I love you too, Mac. Claire missed you."

"I missed you both." Stella led Mac back to Claire. Claire reached up for her dad and the little family stood together. Lindsay watched and saw much love there.


End file.
